Occupational health and safety news and guidance

A church council in South Kensington has been prosecuted for safety
failings after a self-employed joiner was left paralysed when he fell
from the balcony of St Paul's church in Onslow Square.

The worker fell three metres
from a poorly guarded balcony during refurbishment work at the site.
Holy Trinity Brompton parish council - which has three churches under
its auspices - was prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE)
after the incident on 3 March 2010.

Westminster Magistrates' Court was told, on 25 April, that construction work
on St Paul's balcony began early in 2009 to install an adjustable floor
and hand rail so the area could be used in a stepped church seating
style or a flat raised position for seminar use.

A high barrier was erected around the balcony to guard against falls
from height, but was taken down after several months after claims it
interfered with movement of materials around the site.

Instead a lower rail was installed which was just over a metre high
when the floor was in stepped position and just 20cms above the level of
the floor when adjusted to its raised position.

The Parochial Church Council of the Ecclesiastical Parish of Holy
Trinity Brompton with St Paul Onslow Square (HTB) admitted breaching the
Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. Following strong mitigation put
forward by the defence counsel, the church council was fined £5,000 and
ordered to pay full costs of £4,457.60.